Lemon Basil Martini

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This lemon basil martini is the perfect balance of sweet and sour with a subtle basil flavor. Made with a homemade herb infused syrup for the most authentic flavor.

For other flavored martini recipes, try this strawberry martini, this raspberry martini, or this Baileys espresso martini.

Or, try one of the martini recipes from this list of fruity martini recipes.

If you want to try more basil flavored drinks, you will enjoy this watermelon basil mocktail.

Jump to:

• Recipe Highlights
• Ingredients & Substitutions
• Equipment
• Instructions
• Expert Tips
• FAQ
• 📖 Recipe

Recipe Highlights

• The homemade basil syrup in this recipe is made with fresh basil leaves which gives an authentic basil taste without any artificial flavoring.
• The sweet basil syrup balances out the sour lemon for a smooth drink.
• If you make the basil syrup in advance, this lemon drop martini is incredibly fast to make.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Lemon Juice: Since this is the main star of the cocktail, only use freshly squeezed lemon juice. Artificial lemon juice can taste overly sour.
• Vodka: Use a medium quality vodka. Save top shelf vodka for drinking on the rocks.
• Basil: This homemade simple syrup is infused with fresh basil leaves. Dried basil won’t work for this recipe.
• Sugar: Use granulated sugar. Brown sugar will also work but will give the drink a slight caramel flavor.
• Water: A bit of water is used to make the simple syrup.

Equipment

• A small saucepan to make the basil simple syrup in.
• A cocktail shaker to make the martini in.
• A coupe or martini glass to serve the cocktail in.

Instructions

Step 1: Heat the water, basil and sugar on a saucepan over medium heat. Heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Don’t let it boil. Once the sugar has completely dissolved, remove the syrup from the stove. 

Step 2: Strain out the basil leaves from the syrup. Discard the leaves.

Step 3: Add the basil syrup, lemon juice and vodka to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well for 5 to 8 seconds until frosted on the outside. Strain and serve.

Expert Tips

• Store leftover simple syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 to 2 weeks.
• Chill the martini glasses in the freezer before serving the martini.
• To make a sugar rim, run a lemon slice along the edge of the martini glass. Then, dip the rim in a 1:1 combination of granulated sugar and lemon zest.
• For garnish, use a thin lemon slice or make a lemon twist. To make a lemon twist, use a vegetable peeler to peel a thin slice of lemon peel. Then, wrap the peel around a chopstick and hold it in place for 10 seconds for it to take shape.

FAQ

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📖 Recipe